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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be a bit shocked you don't learn the 10 times table until 11 these days?

26 replies

lessonsintightropes · 09/07/2013 00:16

I seem to recall doing all of them to 12 times table in early juniors. Isn't it a bit of a downgrade in academic learning? Surely the learning of number patterns is important?

OP posts:

Inertia · 09/07/2013 00:19

Children do learn the 10 times table way before age 11. It's just not tested as part of national SATS until age 11.

AnotherWorld · 09/07/2013 00:20

Eh? Mine learned it in year R. In year 3 (7-8 year olds) they do up to 6,7,8 etc.

Where did you get idea it's not until 11?

Arisbottle · 09/07/2013 00:20

My children all learned the 10x table very early. Certainly within the first few years.

trixymalixy · 09/07/2013 00:21

Really? DS just finished primary one (Scotland) and they wrote learning what was essentially the ten times table. think they call it stories of ten rather than the ten times table though.

bizboz · 09/07/2013 00:21

I'm a primary school teacher. Teaching times tables is an integral part of maths lessons and children are expected to know all of their times tables up to 10 x 10 by the time they are in Year 6. Many children will know them all before this and will continue up to 12 x table or further. Children in the very earliest years of school count in 2s, 5s and 10s and would be expected to know at least these times tables by the end of Year 2.

Mr Gove is just trying to give the impression that children do not currently learn anything in schools. I have been puzzled that many of the publicised "improvements" to the curriculum involve things that are already currently taught in schools.

Itsaboatjack · 09/07/2013 00:21

My dd is 8 (yr 3) and can do all her times tables up to 12. They are tested on them regularly.

podgymumma · 09/07/2013 00:22

MY ds is in year 2 and the school insist he knows his 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11 by the end of this year and his 12s by the end of year 3. They go through them at the beginning of every maths lesson so they sink in. He has reached the target set by the school.

Original poster

lessonsintightropes · 09/07/2013 00:23

Was from BBC news - don't have DCs this age so reliant on their reporting, which stated kids aren't required to know the 10 times table until 11 and don't do the 12 times table at all. If this isn't right will feel a) reassured about primary school maths and b) disappointed in the BBC for crap reporting.

OP posts:

Arisbottle · 09/07/2013 00:27

I also have a child who is about to finish primary she has certainly been tested on her times tables all the way through school including twelve .

nokidshere · 09/07/2013 00:29

The only reason we (oldies) learned times tables to 12 was because in "old money" there were 12 pennies in a shilling!!!!!

Not necessary these days when everything is worked out in 10's LOL

Nanny0gg · 09/07/2013 00:32

My primary school always taught and tested the times tables up to 12x12.
2x, 5x, 10x taught in Year 2.

nokidshere · 09/07/2013 00:34

sorry misread the title - our primary school teach 2x 5x and 10x first and that's around yr2/3 for most children

Inertia · 09/07/2013 00:36

To be honest, children nowadays are taught many strategies for different problems in maths, and part of what they learn is how to apply the most effective technique to solve the problem. Times tables are an important part of that, but only a part- knowing times tables to 12 isn't enough.

Don't get confused between when children are tested on a subject for officially reported tests, and when they actually learn it- they don't spend 6 years twiddling their thumbs and then attempting to learn everything at age 11 for the Key stage 2 tests.

ClayDavis · 09/07/2013 00:36

You've read the BBC report wrong I think. They're required to know all their tables to 10x10 by the end of KS2 (although off the top of my head the old framework expected that by the end of year 4/5. The 10 times table specifically is an objective for year 2 i.e. 6 and 7 year olds.

Original poster

lessonsintightropes · 09/07/2013 00:40

Ah fair enough PP, thanks all for the clarification. Very glad to have misread a report on this occasion and to have clarification

OP posts:

ChocHobNob · 09/07/2013 00:42

My reception age child has learned the 2, 5 and 10 times tables this year. Either the BBC were wrong or you misheard.

wigglesrock · 09/07/2013 08:01

Yup, my just finished P4 (just turned 8) has done tables up to 13.

MrsMelons · 09/07/2013 08:13

2, 5 and 10s taught in YR at DS1s school (not required but they do if they are able). They teach it specifically in Y1 at DS2s infant school.

DS1 is in Y2 and some children have done up to 12s, some just 2,3,5 and 10.

Its odd though, we had to learn them as times tables and be able to recite them but now they mainly just 'count in' 2s,3s etc so the emphasis is more around the understanding of what they are doing rather than just learning parrot fashion. I think that is fine but it is also useful to learn things parrot fashion if the understanding is not there as its something that you need to know IYSWIM.

exoticfruits · 09/07/2013 08:18

It is in many ways much better in that they can start anywhere as in 3,13,23,33 etc and backwards.

aldiwhore · 09/07/2013 09:31

My son learned his 10x table in Year 1. The other tables were harder for him to grasp, there's been no pressure, and over the last few years (he's in Year 4 now) has gone from struggling to shining in Maths. I think that is because the focus has been learning to love Maths rather than hitting targets.

My youngest is in Reception now, and he doesn't know he's learning the '10 times table' he just sings proudly that he can count in 10s.

LadyBryan · 09/07/2013 09:53

I think you've been misinformed! My daughter is just coming to the end of Year 1 and so far they have learnt and been regularly tested on 2, 3, 5, 10 timestables. They have also learnt to start anywhere and "count on in"

freddiefrog · 09/07/2013 09:53

My DDs did the 10x really early, Year 1 I think, as it's one of the easiest tables to learn.

They definately did x2, x10 and x5 in key stage 1

DD1 has done the x12 as well

Mumsyblouse · 09/07/2013 09:56

I am pretty sure that most schools cover the 10 times tables in Key stage 1, not at the end of Key stage 2. This is not a scandal as far as I am concerned.

AuntieStella · 09/07/2013 09:58

I think schools tend to go beyond the current curriculum stipulation (which is a minima, not maxima). DD is finishing year 4 and they have done tables to 12.

ArbitraryUsername · 09/07/2013 09:58

The reporting of all this has been ludicrous. Nonsense about how memorising the 12 times table at 9 is more 'advanced' than what is currently taught at 11. This is patently untrue. Y6 children will be multiplying all sorts of numbers. Just because you haven't memorised your 63 times table doesn't mean that you can't do 63x578, for example. Indeed, knowing how to multiply any two numbers is far more useful than memorising yet more stuff.

Problem is that bloody gove doesn't understand the difference between memorising and learning.

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